End Of Days
by OscarTheMaggot
Summary: Then end of Gotham City is fast approaching. A sudden crime wave has taken the city by the throat and with the emergence of a new villain that threatens to rip Gotham's fragile peace apart, the Batman is pushed to his limit. But when all too familiar faces emerges from the shadows, have the Batman and Gotham City finally lost?
1. Chapter 1

Bruce Wayne glanced down at his watch. 10:30pm. Another 1 and a half hour of talking to people he didn't know or paticularly like. He walked over to the huge floor to ceiling window and looked out onto the sprawling metropolis of Gotham. The huge skyscrapers, the lights, the two huge spotlights that were always shining into the night sky, the huge masses of people in Central Square (the exact centre point of Gotham where most of the skyscrapers were) and finally Wayne Tower, towering above all of Gotham City.

'This will all be yours one day' his father had promised him. He sighed and put his hand into his pocket. He still wasn't sure if he wanted it all. He turned and looked over at the people gathered at this party that he'd been invited to. The citizens of Gotham. The citizens he'd sworn to protect. All it took was one person in this group to snap. That was the case nowadays for Bruce. It was normal citizens that were disturbing the peace these days.

A pretty blonde girl that he recognised walked up to him. "Bruce!" she spoke with a light Eastern European accent. "How are you honey?"

"Eva" He smiled and kissed her. She looked stunning. Her white dress was lowcut and her long flowing blonde hair was pinned to one side so it cascaded over her shoulder.

"Listen" She said, pulling away from the kiss. She kept her arms wrapped firmly around his waist. "I have to go to China tomorrow. I have some buisness there. Are you coming baby?"

He grimaced "Urgh Eva, I can't. I have a CEO meeting tomorrow morning. I'm sorry."

"Ah. Well then you had better make my last night in Gotham for a month one to remember then hadn't you" She gave him a flirtatious wink and kissed him again

Suddenly there was an explosion and the door into the function room burst off its' hinges. A group of men dressed as porcelean dolls with guns ran in. They stood silently in a line. Eva looked at Bruce "Bruce do something" she whispered

"Stay here" he said softly. He walked through the crowd and stood infront of the line of men. They stood in silence for a minute. Bruce ran his eyes up and down the line. Then he spoke

"Who are you and what are you doing in my building?"

The men stood in complete silence. Then one of them stepped forward and clicked. The line charged forward. One of them grabbed Eva.

"EVA!" Bruce roared. He began to take off after them but he was smashed in the face with the butt of an assault rifle. He fell to the floor feeling the blood from his lip pouring down his face. He watched as they took her to the door marked 'ROOF'. One of the men walked to him and spoke in a sinister raspy voice

"Ten minutes" He opened his jacket and showed Bruce a small device marked C4.

Ten minutes. They were on floor 110. There were just two floors between the function and the roof. If that device was detonated, it would take out at least a quarter of the building and it would take all these people with it.

He hauled himself to his feet and shouted "everyone stay calm. I'm going to resolve this situation!" He looked towards the security guards. They had both had their throats slit. He was on his own. He ran towards the door but was stopped when someone grabbed his arm.

"MR. WAYNE!" an old man stood before him. He had never met the man before but this man still seemed to want to talk to him.

"Um now isn't a great time for me" The man kept a hold of his arm. He squeezed tighter and tighter. Bruce looked at the man and realised that this man was not someone there for the function. The look of hatred in his eyes. The grip was beginning to hurt. He could feel his own blood running down his arm. He shoved the man and sent him sprawling into a table of caviar, snacks and champagne.

Bruce ran towards the door and took the stairs three at a time. He reached the door and burst onto the roof. Lightning was striking the antenna and wind was whipping his hair around his face. At the edge of the building stood one of the thugs in the mask, another man and Eva. He sprinted over and Eva shouted to him "BRUCE!"

The man snapped his head up and his eyes lit up "MR. WAYNE! HOW NICE YOU COULD JOIN US!"

Bruce walked over to him and shouted "WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT!"

The stranger cocked his head and said "Let me make it easier for us to talk" He clicked and the wind dropped. The lightning continued to strike the antenna and the roof "Welcome to my experiment Mr. Wayne"

He suddenly grabbed Eva by the throat. He pulled her in close and inhaled, taking in her delicate scent. The man shot an evil smile at him and chuckled. He then extended his arm and held her over the edge of the building. Her eyes bulged as the fear shook her to her core. Her legs dangled wildly as she was held over Central Square. It was at least a 1,864 foot drop to the hard unforgiving concrete of Gotham City.

"Don't. You. Dare." He let the danger drip from his words.

The man laughed. His laugh seemed to shake the building "If I drop her, everyone else lives. If you choose to save her, the building goes down in a cloud of dust. Time to see just how strong the great Bruce Wayne is. Can you watch gorgeous Eva Krakovsky die? And my my isn't she gorgeous? Or will you save her and watch your empire crumble at your feet. Make your choice Mr. Wayne."

Bruce looked at Eva. Her eyes were almost popping out of her socket. He looked at the thug who was staring back at him. He then swung a punch that caught the stranger full in the face. Bruce watched in horror as the man didn't stumble back. He didn't even flinch.

"Bad choice Mr. Wayne." The man dropped Eva and pressed a button wired to a device. The building began shaking and Bruce could hear glass bursting out of it's frames below him. Then the screaming started.

The man grabbed Bruce by the jacket. He could feel the strength in the man's grip. It was unlike anything he'd felt before. Now watch everything you've ever worked for cease to exist before your very eyes" Bruce heard the sickening thud as Eva hit the ground below. "Goodbye Mr. Wayne. We won't be meeting again." He laughed and threw Bruce off the roof.


	2. Chapter 2

Bruce heard sirens. He tried desperatly to move but it hurt too much. He managed to open his eyes a little bit. At first he was confused. Then the confusion lifted. He had landed on the bonnet of a taxi and the metal had twisted around his body. He struggled and managed to move his arms. Bruce hoisted himself up and out of the bonnet. The first step he took, his right leg failed him and he fell flat on his face. "Shit" he cursed under his breath. He pulled himself up and surveyed the scene.

There was glass everywhere, twisted hunks of metal and concrete, tables and chairs, papers and computer screens littered the sidewalk. He looked up and gasped. An entire section of Wayne Tower was gone. Bruce looked down and the sight shocked him. Bodies were scattered all over the ground. He looked down at the only one he recognised. Eva. She was so beautiful in life. Now, she was just another corpse. Battered, bruised, caked in blood, and mishapen beyond repair. He sat down next to her and took her hand in his.

Behind him he faintly heard a voice. He didn't care. All he wanted was to hear Eva's voice, to feel her touch. Someone came up behind him and placed their hand on his shoulder. He looked up. It was a police officer. He looked back down at Eva. 10 minutes passed and more and more people arrived.

Some police officers tried to take Eva's corpse. "NO!" He screamed "DON'T TOUCH HER" He was pushed off by a police officer and landed on his backside on some glass. He watched with blurry eyes as they loaded her body into the ambulance. A man in a suit, that he neither knew nor wanted to know, walked up to him "Mr. Wayne?"

"What?" Bruce looked up. He saw two men in black suits. They were staring down at him.

"My name is Director Nick Fury. I've been sent by S.H.I.E.L.D to talk to you." Said the tallest of the two men

"Well director" Bruce said climbing to his feet. "You can tell S.H.I.E.L.D to either find out who did this" He gestured to the carnage "Or fuck off. Okay?"

He began walking away when Fury grabbed his arm. "I know what you are Mr. Wayne"

Bruce looked at him square in the eyes "I'm not Batman anymore"

Fury kept hold of his arm "There is a storm coming Mr. Wayne. The time for Batman to return to the streets of Gotham is now. The rise of Batman must begin"

Bruce pulled away "and I told you no"

"It's not a question anymore. This is the time of the Batman. You see that Wayne?" He pointed to the burning Wayne Tower "This is what happens. How long has the Batman been gone? People think they have Gotham in the palm of their hands. You need to come back. Gotham needs you more than ever right now. That little stunt up there? Another one of those and Wayne Enterprises, Arkham and every other buisness in this city is destroyed. Do you understand me Wayne? Without you Gotham is in ruins. It becomes a burning wasteland. You have to do something!"

Bruce looked at him and asked "What does S.H.I.E.L.D want Director?"

"They want you Mr. Wayne. They want Batman to return to where he belongs. As the rightful guardian of Gotham"

Bruce hesitated. Fury handed him a paper folder "You'll need this"

Bruce took the folder. Fury walked away.

In the burning waste of one of Gotham's greatest, proudest skyscrapers, Bruce stood and watched as his empire began to crumble. Just as the man on the roof had promised


	3. Chapter 3

'Madness is, as you know, like gravity. All you need is a little push!' Always the same dream. The Jokers face. Laughing at him Taunting him. He looked out of the window. It was light. He glanced at the clock. 7:30 am. He put his head back against the pillow. The pain from his back hit him hard. He heard his bedroom door open and Alfred walked in "Good morning sir" He put a tray of breakfast on his bed and a newspaper. Bruce picked up the Gotham Times and the headline read: Explosion at Wayne Tower' Bruce threw the Gotham Times back onto his bed and shut his eyes. The events of lat night came flooding back. The stranger on the roof, the look of hate in the old man's eyes, the gut-wrenching thud as Eva hit the ground from the roof.

"You will be meeting with contractors today to discuss the costs of repairing Wayne Tower." Alfred said.

"When will that be?" Bruce looked at him

"12:30"

"Okay. Alfred I'm going to take a quick shower. If you could get the Lamborghini ready to go, I'm going to head into town before the meeting."

Alfred smiled "Of course sir" Alfred watched as he stood up. All over his back were cuts and bruises. "Sir have you thought that maybe you need to think about taking some nights off."

Bruce stood up and pulled a towel, a shirt, a pair of trousers and a tie "Alfred I can't ever take a night off. This is a responsibility that I've been burdened with. I've been Bruce Wayne for too long. It's time to be Batman again."

Alfred nodded and walked out. Bruce walked to the bathroom to take a shower. He turned the water on and stood under the spray. He looked up and jumped. Written on the roof in blood was WHY SO SERIOUS?. He gasped and slammed back against the wall. It couldn't be. He'd watched him die. He'd watch him fall from the building as the string snapped. Then through the house echoed a horrifying cackle. The laugh cut straight through him like a razor blade.

He got out the shower and toweled off. He put his suit on and glanced in the mirror. In the reflection he saw the face of The Joker. He whipped around and he was alone once more in the bathroom. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be real.

He walked down to the garage doing his cufflinks up. Alfred was stood by the Lamborghini "Sir you look like you have seen a ghost."

"It doesn't matter Alfred. Take the afternoon off Alfred. Head up to Central Square. In fact I'll drop you off. Come on"

"But sir..." Alfred said

"I won't take no for an answer Alfred. Get in"

"Uh well thank you sir" Alfred smiled and opened the passanger side door.

On the drive to Central Square, Alfred turned to him and said "How much do you think it'll cost to repair the hole in Wayne Tower?"

"I don't know Alfred but I don't dare to think about it. All those people are dead because of that man on the roof"

"Don't be too hard on yourself sir. There was nothing you could do"

"I know Alfred but I couldn't let go. I couldn't do it Alfred"

Bruce pulled over and Alfred got out. "Be careful Bruce"

Bruce watched Alfred get out and headed for the library. Bruce put his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. He opened them and frowned. Stuck to his windscreen was a small piece of paper. He opened the door and took the paper. It was a joker card. Written on it was 'Let's play, Batman. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA" He got back into the car and scanned the card into the onboard computer. The computer beeped into life 'DIAGNOSIS PROCESS ACTIVATED' He watched as the fingerprint scanner began working. 'NO MATCH' He frowned. "Well that can't be right" He said under his breath. He threw the card onto the passengar seat and drove off towards Wayne Tower.


	4. Chapter 4

"So Mr. Wayne would you like to explain exactly what happened?" A police officer asked Bruce.

"Look I told you. The men broke in, took my girlfriend to the roof, threw her off the roof, blew the building up and threw me off the roof. How many times do you need to hear this bloody story?" Bruce was getting irritated now.

They were stood in the giant hole that the explosion had torn into the side of the building looking out over Gotham.

"Mr. Wayne, I have to ask you. How do you think we'll pay for this?" A man in a suit asked

"Insurance?" Bruce shrugged "I don't know. Look, I don't make up numbers okay. I'll give you money but you guys can sort the rebuild out"

One of the men in suits walked up to him and got right into his face. "Listen to me Wayne. You expect to just waltz away from this? Not this time. You face this yourself"

Bruce held eye contact with the man. Everybody in the room was silently willing Bruce to drop it. However, he fuelled the fire and retaliated. "Who hired you? I believe that I have to authorise new empolyees. And I think I'd remember your ugly mug"

The man laughed " That's because you didn't" The man pulled a gun out of his jacket and went to fire. Bruce grabbed the gun, twisted it out of the man's hand and punched him. Bruce twisted his arm behind his back and shoved him up against the wall. He then smashed his face against the window and knocked the man out. Bruce let the man's prone body drop to the floor. He radioed down to security "Disturbance in the blast zone. Threat dealt with but need to um... dispose of some trash." Soon after a security guard entered and threw the man over his shoulder then walked out.

Bruce turned back to the group of men "Shall we continue gentlemen?"

The men talked and talked. Bruce didn't pay attention. Suddenly his PDA buzzed and he took it out of his pocket. The screen read SECURITY BREACH: APPLIED SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

"Gentlemen you'll have to excuse me" Bruce ran out of the room and ran down the stairs, shouting to security guards to follow him. They threw the doors open and strode into the giant hanger that made up the Applied Science department.

"Where's the break in?" One of the guards asked. Nothing was damaged. There was no sign of forced entry. Almost like there was no break in. Suddenly there was a huge clang and they all turned around. A man in a mask made of a sack threw a punch into the face of one of the security guards. He drop kicked another guard in the face. The final guard threw himself onto the man in the masks back. The man shot his head back into the guards face. The guard dropped to the floor in a crumpled heap. The man turned and shouted "Mr. Wayne. Come out come out!" He looked around "No? Well I'll have to find him. If I can't find him..."

"Then you'll have to settle for me" Batman dropped from the roof and kicked the man square in the face "Scarecrow"

"Batman" Scarecrow chuckled and threw a punch. Batman grabbed his arm, lifted it above his head and jabbed a punch Scarecrow's ribs. The Scarecrow grunted and stumbled backwards. Batman darted towards him and tackled him. Scarecrow dropped and skidded accross the floor. Batman jumped to his feet and ran. He jumped up and punched the Scarecrow. Batman ripped the Scarecrow's mask off.

"What is it you want Scarecrow?" Batman growled. The Scarecrow spat blood towards Batman's face.

"I want. I want to see you squirm Batman. Cause guess what?" He laughed and pulled a gun out of his jacket "I don't fear you" He raised the gun to his head "Boom." He pulled the trigger and the his body crumpled.

Batman walked over to the computer and logged in. He opened the response program, typed 'APPLIED SCIENCE BREAK IN. FATALITIES:1. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE REQUIRED' and hit enter. He ran to the door annd quickly ditched the suit.

Without the suit that made him Batman, he took the elevator to the lobby. He walked out the front door and towards the Lamborghini. Again there was a small card. This time it wasn't a Joker card. It was just a card with writing on it. It read: 'You completed my little test. But can you pass this one. Watch out Batman. Here it comes...' There was a huge bang and Bruce looked up. Out of one of the windows on the HSBC building accross from Wayne Tower there was a body that fell. It hit the ground and Bruce ran towards it. It was mishapen, naked and twisted. The thing that stood out the most was the red scars that marked a smile onto its' face. There were no eyeballs. The eye sockets were painted black and pinned to the chest was a joker card. It simply read 'HA HA HA HA HA'

Bruce looked up to the window that the body had fallen from. Stood in the empty pane was a familliar shape. It was one of the most fear inducing shape in the world. The figure looked downwards at the body and giggled. There was no longer any doubt. He was back. The man he had killed two years ago. The Joker.


End file.
